Is Latin class worth taking?

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ohsnapitslennon

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Okay, so my school offers Latin. Right now, I’m in Spanish 1, and for my Sophmore year I was planning on taking Honors Spanish 2 and Latin 1.

Would it be worth it to take Latin if, in college, I plan on getting a degree in theology?

It is Classical Latin, but is any Latin better than none? I know there is a slight difference in Ecclesiastical Latin and Classical, but I just wanted to know your opinion.

Thanks!
 
Yes, yes, yes. Especially if you plan on a theology degree. How can you read the original texts of the documents if you don’t read/understand Latin? Latin will also help you with your grammar and writing.
 
If you weren’t interested in pursuing a degree in theology, I would say it’d be a waste of your time. However, I would say that Latin is very important to know for a person pursuing a degree in theology because of the reason posted above.
 
I took four years of Latin. I have found it very useful in many areas … mostly English vocabulary. But learning Latin also opens the doors to some great classical (and pre-Christian) writers such as Cicero.
 
mikeghiorso said:
I took four years of Latin. I have found it very useful in many areas … mostly English vocabulary. But learning Latin also opens the doors to some great classical (and pre-Christian) writers such as Cicero.
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Latin is useful in many areas, most notably law and science.
Good luck in your studies!
 
YES, Latin is worth taking. You will find out that it is the base for the romance language
and it helps with your English as well as your Spanish grammar. I wish I had had it available when I was going to school and I knew what I know now! I have been able to sing AVE MARIA in Latin after much practice and listening to it sung by other people many times. I would encourage you to take Latin … it can only open many doors and give you hours of pleasure ( and some hours of pain as you study ).
 
Non tam praeclarum est scire Latine, quam turpe nescire.

It is not so much excellent to kow Latin, as it is shameful to not know it – Cicero

tee
 
ohsnapitslennon said:
Okay, so my school offers Latin. Right now, I’m in Spanish 1, and for my Sophmore year I was planning on taking Honors Spanish 2 and Latin 1.

Would it be worth it to take Latin if, in college, I plan on getting a degree in theology?

It is Classical Latin, but is any Latin better than none? I know there is a slight difference in Ecclesiastical Latin and Classical, but I just wanted to know your opinion.

Thanks!
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I am 62. Just 4 years a Catholic, but before that a Lutheran.
I studied German when in College and in the Army, with the thought that I would be enabled to read Luther in the original language when I attended Luther Seminary after that. I found out to my chagrin that Luther wrote mainly in Latin.

It is now about 40 years later. After becoming Catholic I was introduced to the delightful writings of St. Thomas Aquinas in his Summa Theologica. I am 82 pages away from finishing the English edition (my first reading - I intend to re-read it until I die or Christ returns to tell me to see him directly as I have seen him through Thomas). But I often feel like I would like to know his words as he spoke them to his secretaries. When I read the New Testament in Greek I find I feel like I am hearing the author speaking out loud to me - there is no clumsiness of a translation, but a clarity (granted, that it takes many years of reading to feel this “at home” feeling with a language). I think it is always richer reading or hearing in an original language, which I have found both in Greek and in German.

Spanish would also be good to feel at home with. I would encourage you in the Latin, and to continue the Spanish. As long as you are able to learn, learn all you are able to learn, and use it. While I do not do things professionally with my language skills, I still end up being called on at work to translate German documents that come in from time to time, and at a Saturday Bible Study people often ask how their Bible translations compare with the Greek and I can give added insight to what I have seen in the Greek.

Go for it, is my suggestion.

John Martin
 
pianistclare said:
Latin is useful in many areas, most notably law and science.
Good luck in your studies!
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There is a bit of random Latin in law, but I personally don’t think it’s worth learning for that reason (I do think it’s worth learning for other reasons). If it were a matter of preparing for my legal career all over again, I’d go back and learn Spanish or Mandarin, so I could communicate with more clients.
 
If that’s where you want to go then yes take Latin.

Latin will also help you in Spanish because Spanish is rooted from Latin.
 
ohsnapitslennon said:
Okay, so my school offers Latin. Right now, I’m in Spanish 1, and for my Sophmore year I was planning on taking Honors Spanish 2 and Latin 1.
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I did the same thing when I was in high school, only I was taking French instead of Spanish :p. I would have continued Latin in college but my undergraduate institution didn’t offer it and then dropped all foreign languages after my freshman year :confused:
ohsnapitslennon said:
Would it be worth it to take Latin if, in college, I plan on getting a degree in theology?

It is Classical Latin, but is any Latin better than none? I know there is a slight difference in Ecclesiastical Latin and Classical, but I just wanted to know your opinion.
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Well if you want a degree in theology then knowing Latin would be a huge asset as others have said. And even though it is classical Latin, the differences are not really anything major as far as I know. Plus you’ll probably get to study historical Latin writings. When I was a senior we got to translate Virgil’s epic poem The Aeneid. If I had started as a freshman we would have translated Cicero’s writings the next year. That kind of thing would certainly be very interesting even if you don’t use it again.
 
Yes. It will help your understanding of theology and since Latin is the root of many languages it will help with that. I think Latin should be required in all schools in this country, as well as other languages. Go for it by all means.
 
preb34 said:
If you weren’t interested in pursuing a degree in theology, I would say it’d be a waste of your time. However, I would say that Latin is very important to know for a person pursuing a degree in theology because of the reason posted above.
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I agree, however…

It depends what kind of theology degree you intend on pursuing. If it’s a Sacred Theology Degree, you will need to be able to function in it. Ditto with Canon Law.

However if it’s not specifically Sacred Theology, then no.

I have a theology degree with my Bachelor’s of Arts, and I have studied Latin in my spare time, and Latin hasn’t helped it much except for trivial bits here and there.

One of my professors had a Master’s of Divinity, is a priest and was the Provincial for his Order. Yet he never studied Latin. I don’t think my local bishop did either, except to do the Latin Mass. The reality is that it’s not very practical to learn in today’s Church anymore.

So unless if it’s specifically for Sacred Theology or Canon Law (both of which you can’t even take till you’ve already gotten your four year degree; a bachelor of Sacred Theology is actually a graduate degree), don’t bother taking those classes in Latin.

Latin is a very tough language, you’ll be surprised, even after years of studying it you will not be proficient. Studying Spanish had more practical applications in the US. Italian is more practical too.

The reality is that even Cardinals don’t all understand Latin well, by their own admission.

So I’d discourage it, based on personal experience and the people I know who even have important Church positions.
 
Havard said:
I don’t doubt it. I should have narrowed my comment for the United States.
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But even so, how many countries have Latin written on their currency, great seals, and state mottos? I was surprised to hear that the motto of Chicago Parks was Hortus in urbe. (Garden within a city) Just sayin.
 
Oh Yes!

My daughter took 3 years of Latin in High School and has no regrets about it. She took it because she wanted something different being the thinker that she is…She’s graduating among the top of her class now in mechanical engineering… see mama’s pride?lol I know mechanical engineering is a far stretch from Latin, but Latin is the root of our language and can be applied in different areas of study besides theology including science and medicine, Additionally, having a basis of Latin will definitely help you understand theology and the Church liturgy. Latin isn’t taught at all high schools and there are few Latin teachers nowadays so if your school teaches it I would take advantage of it. They also covered ancient cultures and mythology in Latin which will help in theology course study. God bless!
 
Yes, go for it. Ignore the chants that still ring in my ears from my classmates years ago…
“Latin is a dead Language. First it killed the Romans and now it’s killing me…” JK

It gave me a background in root words and definitions… for the English Language.
 
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